Patience
by jennyxbc
Summary: His love for her would have been perverse had it not been so filled with purity. Sarah hadn't realised that she had been claimed. Dark Jareth. Partially inspired by 'Lolita', 'Beauty & the Beast' & 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'. Don't judge before you read!
1. Prologue

**Patience - by Jennyxbc**

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******Be wise as thou art cruel; do not press  
My tongue-tied patience with too much disdain;  
Lest sorrow lend me words and words express  
The manner of my pity-wanting pain.**

******- Sonnet 140, William Shakespeare**

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_**Prologue**_

Underground, Jareth was undoubtedly one of the most powerful beings within the twisted stretches of the realm, if not the most powerful of all. Being a King afforded him certain liberties; the most beautiful women, the first to be served at any banquet, elaborate and exotic gifts from faraway lands from his courtiers, not to mention the fact that they happily pandered to his every whim, no matter how ridiculous or downright stupid.

However, Jareth's power was limited in the Above. He was unable to materialize in his 'human' form unless responding to the careless wishes of a child, and thus was trapped in the appearance of a majestic-looking barn owl.

It was a nice owl, Jareth thought, but an owl nonetheless.

He had enjoyed his bird-form for many millennia. It allowed him glimpses into the mortal psyche, allowed him to spy on their secrets and peek in at their sins. He had been detachedly amused by the human race for centuries, never once wanting to reach out and be a part of their world. That was until he saw her for the first time.

Jareth was amazed that he had never noticed her before.

Her erethreal pale skin, her hypnotizing green eyes so bright that they glowed against her alabaster cheeks, her luscious red mouth, long ebony hair that hung to her breasts and a slender feline figure that Jareth longed to touch.

And then there was her voice.

So powerful and strong, yet sultry and enticing.

Watching her became his new favourite past time.

He was entranced with her utter selfishness, her need to establish herself amongst her peers as a far superior being, her childlike excitement when faced with a new challenge.

Jareth had never known love before, but now, faced with a fourteen year old girl – too young for him even by the laws of his own kingdom – he was enraptured. He had to have her.

But she was too young.

Too young to know of the needs of her body, too young to comprehend the lustful wanderings of the mind of a masterful fae, too young to know even of the Labyrinth and the sinful world which lurked on a plane separate to the mortal Earth that she knew so well.

He had to have her.

When he could not sleep, he watched her through the magic of his crystals, and when his schedule would allow it, he perched on the tree branch outside her window.

Her power over him was addictive. He longed to see her face, to see the way her dark lashes swept over her cheeks, to see her perfect lips stretch into a breathtakingly cruel smile.

She was different to all of the others. She was the one.

His mate.

And though he knew it would take time, Jareth was prepared to wait.

Her love of literature and dramatics was his inspiration.

Producing a script marked as "The Labyrinth", Jareth made sure to leave the book where she would find it. That was, bound in black silk and tied with a silver string, tucked away in the pile of gifts set aside for her fifteenth birthday.

It was her favourite gift that day, and she soon became entranced with the world of cruelty and magic that was the Underground.

Jareth knew that his plot was working when she began to say her name in her sleep. Her young, teenage mind was still too naive to understand the desire that she felt for him, but Jareth understood all too well.

So eager was Jareth to encourage her lust that he added erotic scenes containing himself and the would-be heroine of the Labyrinth, who coincidentally had long black hair and green eyes.

Jareth knew that his love for her would have been perverse, had it not been so filled with purity. He longed to make her laugh, to see her smile, and yet he knew that he must be patient.

"Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul*," Jareth murmured. "My future."

...

She played right into his hands.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away," Sarah muttered in exasperation as she flicked off the light to her father and stepmother's bedroom. "Right now."

...

His first proper conversation with her did not go exactly as he had planned.

He longed to touch her, to hold her, and yet he knew he could not. To do so would be a sign of weakness, and he could not afford to let her win.

Under the ruse of distracting her, Jareth produced a peach to knock Sarah into unconsciousness.

However, only he knew that her time solving the Labyrinth would not be affected by his little indiscretion.

Jareth loved dancing with her. She was as graceful as a swan, as poised as an eagle, and yet her anxiety showed plainly on her face. It was during their dance that Jareth realised that she felt something for him. Her fear disappeared as soon as she was in his arms, and he twirled her around the room as if time had no limits. All that mattered was the way her curves felt beneath his fingertips, the way her eyes glittered and her smile stole his breath away.

And then she realised what was happening and escaped from his expert manipulation.

...

For the first time, someone had beaten the Labyrinth –and, by extension, beaten him.

He had been impressed with her strength and determination. She had gotten further than anyone else ever had in spite of the fact that Jareth continued to place obstacles in her way. And Sarah kept face through all of it, never once admitting defeat.

She was, however, unaware of the consequences of beating the Labyrinth. Jareth knew what would happen and so he let her say the words that would leave her chained to him forever.

In defeating him, she had marked herself his equal, solidifying Jareth's belief that she was his one true mate.

Jareth had enjoyed the company of women in his bed in the past, but had never marked one as his mate. He was well aware of the knowledge that Fae mate for life, and now that he had found Sarah, he had no intentions of letting her go.

But she was still too young.

And so Jareth waited.

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"Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul." – taken from Vladimir Nabokov's 'Lolita'.

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	2. Chapter 1 Time's Fool

**The M-rating starts here!**

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_Love is not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks  
Within his bending sickle's compass come:  
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,  
But bears it out even to the edge of doom._

- Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare

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**Chapter 1 - Time's Fool**

_Sarah moaned as Jareth lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her into the rough stone wall of his throne room. _

"_You will not disobey me again, Sarah," Jareth hissed at her, nipping cruelly at her lips with his sharp teeth. _

_Sarah arched her back against him as he plunged two fingers deep inside of her. "Jareth," she said breathily, "God, Jareth." _

"_You will not address me so familiarly," Jareth growled, "I am your King."_

"_Yes," Sarah whimpered, "My King."_

"_Your ruler," Jareth continued harshly, freeing himself from the confines of his tight breeches, "Your master." He removed his fingers from her heat and impaled her on his length, smirking against her skin as she cried out in exquisite agony at his sudden invasion. _

_With every thrust, Sarah's back was ground against the stone wall, and the pain only added to the pleasure. It did not take long for her to reach her release, and as she reached the summit of ecstasy..._

Sarah awoke as a dithering, breathless mess. She moaned a little and squeezed her eyes closed. Such dreams had become the norm of late, but that didn't mean that it got easier to be brought to the precipice of release and be denied it, over and over again.

She seriously needed a boyfriend. Or a vibrator.

The problem therein, though, was that the only male she found attractive was the damned Goblin King, and she didn't much fancy losing her virginity to a piece of plastic, and even if she was to invest in some form of toy to satiate her desires, Jareth would not be at all pleased that he had not been the one to deflower her.

Her feelings towards Jareth were dizzyingly intense, and yet she felt she hardly knew him. She was insanely possessive over him in spite of the fact that she had no claim on him, and she couldn't even read the erotic passages in _The Labyrinth_ without becoming blindingly jealous at the maiden cavorting with him.

Sarah had tried self-service and found it heartbreakingly disappointing. It was difficult to bring herself to orgasm when her dad, step mom and two younger siblings were only feet away and the walls in her house were ridiculously thin. In fact, the few times that she had successfully _got there_, it had been because she was wearing soft leather gloves, exactly like the ones Jareth wore.

Damn stupid hormones.

She looked up to the clock on her nightstand and sighed.

It was thirteen minutes to midnight on the eve of Sarah Williams eighteenth birthday.

She lay awake in bed, listening to the minutes tick away.

This was the official end to her childhood.

The unofficial end to her childhood had happened upon her return from the Labyrinth. She had sacrificed her own desires for what she knew was right. She had longed to remain in the Underground with the faeries and the goblins and the magical creatures that inhabited it, but she had known in her heart that Toby should not have to pay for her juvenile mistake.

The pain on Jareth's heartbreakingly beautiful face now haunted her dreams, and now that she knew that Toby was safely above ground and out of reach of dark magic, Sarah longed to make things right.

She hadn't understood Jareth's request then, but she did now.

He loved her, and was pleading for her love in return.

And then she had to go and forbid him from ever coming near her again.

It was her greatest regret. If only she could see him one last time, just to tell him how she felt, how sorry she was. Back then, she had to think of Toby first, but now? Now she wanted to be selfish and not feel guilty about it. She wanted to return his love – she did, in fact – and she needed more than anything to show him the extent of her love.

Sarah sighed. "Enough of this pathetic _pining," _she thought to herself. "He's probably forgotten that I even exist." That thought hurt more than she could have predicted.

But she was in love with him; so absolutely in love with him that it was ruining her life, and there was nothing that she could do about it. She couldn't exactly hop on a bus to the Underground and tell him how she felt. It wasn't as simple as all that.

There were rules, conditions. He wasn't even the right_ species _for crying out loud_,_ but she loved him all the same.

The clock on her nightstand struck midnight, and Sarah grimaced.

She was officially eighteen years old. A woman. An adult.

But all she could think of was the way Jareth's gloved hands would feel running over her skin.

"I wish I knew why this was happening to me," Sarah mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

"You really want to know?" Jareth asked her coolly, gazing expressionlessly at her from his position against her doorframe.

Sarah glared at him and pursed her lips. "You have no power over me," she said firmly in reply, as if she still believed that she was dreaming, and Jareth narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"You're _lying_," he whispered, stalking across her bedroom until he was perched on the end of her bed. "Didn't your parents teach you to be honest, Sarah?"

"What're you doing here?" Sarah whispered, her voice shaking in spite of her efforts to remain calm.

"Granting your wish," Jareth replied, leaning forwards and tucking a hair behind Sarah's ear. His breath washed over her face and she could not fight the sudden overwhelming sense of fear that seemed to eclipse all reasonable thought.

Wrenching her face from his grasp, Sarah clambered out of her bed and put as much space as she possibly could between the two of them. Jareth smirked. "Do I scare you?"

Sarah thrust her chin into the air in a stubborn gesture of defiance and snorted. "Don't flatter yourself."

Jareth was instantly standing mere inches away from her. "Watch your mouth," he hissed at her. He gripped her upper arm and roughly pulled open the French windows that opened out onto the wrap-around balcony of the second story of the house. His fingers squeezed her skin painfully, and Sarah was sure that there would be bruises there the following day.

"Where are you taking me?" Sarah demanded, and Jareth chuckled darkly.

"You will see."

Sarah tried to pull her arm from his grasp, but Jareth only held on more tightly. "You're hurting me!" Sarah cried, struggling against him.

And then they were in his throne room, and Sarah was pressed angrily against one of the stone walls.

"Be quiet," Jareth hissed at her venomously, letting go of her once he was sure that she would obey.

As soon as his hands left her upper arms, Sarah ran for one of the many doors leading out of the throne room. In unison, all five of the doors slammed closed, and Sarah stopped dead in her tracks.

"There is no escape, Sarah," Jareth informed her. "Only acceptance."

"You bastard!" Sarah exclaimed, "You had no right to bring me here!"

Jareth laughed softly. "Ah, my dear girl, but that is where you are mistaken. I had every right to bring you to my castle, and still _have_ every right to keep you here."

"But, _why_? I did not wish to be brought here!"

"And yet here you are." Sarah spun around to face him and gasped to find him right behind her. "You are tired," he murmured soothingly to her, "You should sleep."

The image of his mismatched eyes hypnotized her, centring her every thought on falling asleep.

Jareth caught her when she fell, a wicked smirk on his face.

* * *

When Sarah awoke, she was lying in a beautiful four-poster bed in one of the most incredible chambers she had ever seen.

The bed stood on a platform against a wall, elevating it from the rest of the room. The chamber in which it resided was strangely familiar. It was as if she had been there thousands of times before, and yet she knew that this was the first time she had ever seen it.

Elaborate tapestries hung on the stone walls, some showing battles between magical creatures, some showing her own triumphs over the Labyrinth, and then there was the one directly across from her bed.

It was undoubtedly the most wonderful tapestry in the room, and yet the image broke her heart. She had seen the image many times before, once in reality and thousands of times in her mind, and she reached up to brush a tear away from her cheek. It showed the moment in which she had rejected him, banished him from her life forever, and Sarah squeezed her eyes closed in recognition.

She was in the Underground.

She had run the Labyrinth and defeated him; she had cast him out and gone on to live her life.

And Jareth had somehow found a way to bring her back.

She peeled herself from the silk sheets and walked over to the window. There, stretched out before her, was the Labyrinth; all the confirmation she needed.

A loud knock at the door to her chamber made her jump, and she immediately grabbed a poker from the fire to defend herself.

Just because she lusted after Jareth didn't mean that she had to trust him, and seeing as she hadn't exactly wished herself back to the Labyrinth he clearly had to have had something to do with it.

"Come in," Sarah said cautiously, holding the poker out in front of her.

The door creaked open but there was nobody there, only a rolled up piece of parchment tied with a black ribbon.

She peered out of the door and frowned when she realised the corridor outside was empty. "Creepy old place," she muttered with a shudder, pulling the door closed behind her and barricading it closed by shoving a chair up against the handle.

She slowly uncurled the paper and scowled.

"_Improve your temper. Bathe. Dress for dinner. You will be ready by one o clock. Wait outside of the door and you shall be escorted down to eat."_

That was all. No polite greeting, no well-wishes, just coldly issued instructions. She almost dared to get back in bed, but the promise of food won out against her desire to anger Jareth.

She glanced up at the clock and sighed. It was already 11.50am. She tried a door close to her bed and was a little pleased to find a sparkling bathroom behind it.

The appliances were a vivid scarlet, and Sarah hurriedly took a bath and washed her hair, ignoring the happiness that bloomed in her heart when she realised that Jareth had provided the same products that she had used at home.

He was such an enigma.

She knew that he loved her, and yet he certainly had a strange way of showing it.

Sarah dragged a comb through her dark hair and frowned when she realised that she was going to have to leave it to air dry.

Approaching the large black dresser, Sarah pulled a face when she saw the clothing it contained; too-tight pants like Jareth wore, dresses that showed a _lot_ of cleavage, poet shirts that were seemingly innocent though almost completely transparent and lots of highly heeled shoes.

The chest of drawers wasn't much better. In the top two drawer lurked brassieres, corsets, thongs, even _crotchless_ panties. She snorted and shook her head – Jareth was clearly very confident in his seduction abilities. The bottom two drawers were a little kinder; they held poet shirts that must have been Jareth's cast offs, along with some questionably acceptable nightwear.

Sarah chose a simple black lace bra and panty set – eager not to encourage Jareth's advances until she knew what the hell was going on – and selected a simple, figure-hugging black dress with a deep v-neck that made her think of Morticia Addams.

_Yeah, Sarah, it's totally normal to think of a cartoon whilst being trapped in a different realm. _

She glanced up at the clock again and gaped when she realised that an hour had passed. She only had ten minutes left. She threw on some black boots and winced when her centre of gravity was quickly re-routed. Damn heels.

Eager to hide the expanse of chest that the dress exposed, she rooted around in the two night-stands by the bed and smiled when she found a necklace that would dip into the crevice between her breasts. It was exactly like Jareth's pendant, only this was smaller and more delicate, as if it was made for a woman.

Sarah peered at her reflection in the mirror and her eyes widened.

Sarah had initially thought that she had chosen one of the plainer items from the dresser, but now that she studied her mirror image, she could tell that she had been mistaken.

The dark, shimmering material of the dress brought out the vivid green of her eyes and emphasised her pale skin. She turned and blushed when she realised just how tight the dress was. It clung to every curve, ending in a pretty fishtail around her feet that rippled when she moved.

Tiny black sequins glittered when they caught the light and Sarah was almost embarrassed to think that she would be having lunch in such a beautiful creation.

She jumped a little when a sharp knock on her door broke her from her reverie. She walked quickly to the door and bit her lip when she took in Jareth's appearance.

His black, silk peasant shirt and shimmering grey breeches matched her perfectly, and Sarah blushed when she realised that she had been staring at him.

...

Jareth was seething when he arrived outside of her door and found her to be dallying inside, but his anger did not last long after she had emerged from her chamber in the black dress he had known that she would love.

He swept his gaze over her body and had to fight the smirk from his face. Instead, he stared at her emotionlessly and pulled her arm through his. "Come."

Sarah bit her lip but allowed herself to be guided down the corridor. "Are you going to at least tell me what's going on?"

"All in good time," Jareth replied with a shrug, not answering her question.

As the two approached a large set of double doors, they swung open, and Jareth pulled Sarah's chair out for her before she sat down. She thanked him with a tight smile and Jareth took the seat opposite hers.

He waved a hand and food appeared on the table. "Eat your fill," he said, his tone indicating that this was not open for discussion. He nodded satisfactorily when he noted the amount that Sarah had piled onto her plate. She had become a little too thin for his liking, though his desire for her was as strong as ever.

Jareth finished eating long before Sarah did and simply sipped at his goblet of water and watched her eat. Sarah's goblet, on the other hand, was filled with a particularly strong kind of Goblin Wine; a substance which Jareth hoped would loosen her tongue.

When she had finished eating, Sarah sighed at the fullness in her stomach and pushed her plate a little ways away from her. "Thank you," she commented quietly, and Jareth nodded thoughtfully.

"I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have now, Sarah."

Sarah bit her lip, unsure as to where to start. "Why am I here?"

"Because you are bound to me," Jareth replied calmly, eying Sarah's flushed face from across the table.

"How?!" she blurted out, lowering her eyes when she saw a flash of anger from within Jareth's.

He smirked at her with mirth. "In beating the Labyrinth, and by extension myself, you marked yourself as my equal. The magic of the Labyrinth only allowed you to return to the Above because you were too young to fulfil the role that you are needed for. On the contrary, you are now of an age to be useful to the Underground and so you have been forced to return."

"You mean that _you_ didn't do this?"

Jareth sighed. "In spite of what you may believe, I would not hold you here against your will. I, too, am powerless against the magic of the Labyrinth. Even if I wanted to return you – which, coincidentally, I do not – I would be unable to do so."

Sarah raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Are you telling me that you honestly had nothing to do with me being here?"

"Not entirely. I was aware of what would happen if you defeated the Labyrinth and simply allowed events to occur."

"But you knew that I would eventually have to come back here?"

"Yes," Jareth replied shortly. Sarah flushed a brilliant shade of red and scowled at him, but Jareth was unmoved. "Perhaps you should think of it as a trade: you in exchange for your delightful younger brother."

"That's not fair!" Sarah protested. "I didn't know what would happen after I won Toby's freedom! You can't keep me here!"

"But the Labyrinth _can_," Jareth responded in an icy cold voice, and suddenly he was by her side. He pulled her out of her chair and ignored her struggles. "As the Goblin King, High Ruler of this Kingdom and the Protector of the Labyrinth, it is my duty to ensure that you are safe at all times. Which is why, with the aid of the Labyrinth's magic, you are effectively a prisoner here until you choose to accept your position with grace. After all, who is better to eliminate the weaknesses of my charming little game than the girl who beat it in only ten hours?" His tone was mocking and cruel, and Sarah tried to push him away from her, but Jareth glared at her menacingly and pulled her so tightly to him that their chests were pressed together. "Be careful, Sarah. Be _very_ careful. You exploited my generosity last time and I will not allow it to happen again."

Sarah clenched her jaw. "I am not afraid of you," she hissed at him, staring him defiantly in the eyes.

Jareth let out a bark of laughter. "You are a _liar_, my beautiful Sarah," he whispered, stroking his gloved fingers down the side of her face. He captured her lips suddenly and Sarah could not help but respond. His mouth was so forceful and possessive, unrelenting against her initial struggles and persuasive at the same time. It took her a few moments to regain control over her senses and when she finally opened her mouth to protest, Jareth took advantage and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Sarah found herself clinging to him, trembling in his arms as she responded to his bruising kiss, kissing him back with the same hot fervour.

It was Jareth who broke the kiss, and he smirked coldly as Sarah gasped for breath. He seemed perfectly fine, his breathing was normal and his heart rate steady.

"Until later," he promised her with a gentle kiss on the cheek. He disappeared into thin air, and Sarah flopped back into her chair with a thud.

God, she hated him and his temperamental mood swings.

He made her feel hot and cold at the same time, shivery even though her palms were sweating, absolutely insane with lust and yet she was _so _angry with him for making her feel so confused.

It was at this point that Sarah remembered that she had no idea how to get back to her room.

She really wanted a cold shower, a hug from her two little brothers and a warm smile from her Dad. Oh, God; her _family_. What would they have thought this morning, going into her bedroom on her eighteenth birthday only to find her gone?

Did they even remember her?

"Jareth!" Sarah demanded, "Jareth, I want to talk to you."

She looked unimpressed when he appeared again in front of her like he had never left.

"My family," she stated. "They aren't hurting, are they?"

Jareth pulled a face. "They have no idea that you ever existed."

She stood up and stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her. This was too far.

Jareth sighed. _Just when it had all been going so well! _

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**Would have updated sooner but my boyfriend and I found a stray cat on the carpark near our work on Monday night. We took him to the vets on Tuesday afternoon and he wasn't micro-chipped, and after ringing around all of our local vets to see if he had been reported missing, we decided to keep him! He's such a little darling but very very thin, so he is going to need a lot of TLC to make him strong enough for a neutering operation. We've called him Sooty :)**

**Hope this chapter was alright, I'm trying to ease Jareth's darkness in slowly. I've also decided that I'm going to include some mild BDSM themes - nothing too extreme though.**

**Jen x**

**PS - Leave me lots of reviews!**


	3. Chapter 2 Madman's Discourse

_My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are  
At random from the truth vainly express'd  
For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright  
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night._

**- Sonnet 147, William Shakespeare**

* * *

_**Chapter 2 – Madman's Discourse**_

After walking for at least five minutes, Sarah somehow managed to locate her chamber and slammed the door after her.

He was such an insufferable ass.

How _dare_ he steal the memories of her family? How _dare_ he make them forget her?

How dare he bring her here altogether?

An annoying little voice in the back of her head kindly pointed out that it was the Labyrinth that had brought her back, not Jareth, and so he was not to blame.

Sarah scowled. Less than a day with that man and he was already messing with her mind.

Sighing, Sarah stalked over to her window and sat down on the cushioned sill, drawing up her knees and hugging them to her. Though there was no glass in the window and a breeze ruffled the tendrils of her hair, Sarah did not feel even the slightest chill.

She looked down the ground and blanched when she realised just how high up her chamber was. Wow – Jareth really wasn't taking any chances in terms of letting her escape.

Just as she thought of him, she spotted him wandering through the castle gardens below, his blonde unruly mane of hair standing up in all directions as it usually did. She tore herself from the window sill, eager to escape thoughts of him, and threw herself onto her bed.

She honestly could not remember ever being so bored.

Reluctantly, Sarah decided that she would go for a wander through the castle, partly to acquaint herself with its many secret passages and long winding corridors and partly to entertain her.

It took her several minutes to find the dining room again, and from there she discovered the kitchens – where many adorable goblin women were hard at work, scrubbing dishes and preparing fresh ones –as well as a magnificent formal drawing room, a door that lead out into the gardens, the throne room and, much to her utter delight, the largest library she had ever seen. There were two fireplaces surrounded by couches and thick fur rugs, and dark wood desks scattered throughout the room. Sarah instantly fell in love with it.

She walked slowly over to the softest-looking of the two couches and sank down into it with a happy sigh. Much better. She looked up to the packed extensive shelves and almost couldn't bear to move, but the promise of a book to calm her nerves and occupy her mind was too tempting.

She tossed two more logs onto the glowing embers of the fire and began to browse the shelves, smiling when she stumbled across an old book cart. Sarah managed to find at least twenty of her favourite books, and even though she knew that there was no way she would be able to read them all before suppertime, she planned on leaving the cart around so that she could find it again and continue in her reading.

After all, there wasn't much else that she could do.

"You are so very beautiful," he said softly, his voice reverent and filled with ardour.

Jareth's quiet voice startled her but she ensured that her face was set in a cool mask before turning her head to face him. "Thank you," Sarah replied politely. "I didn't hear you come in."

Jareth shrugged and took a seat on the couch across from hers. "My apologies if I startled you, though this is _my _library."

Sarah bit her lip and looked away. "Would you like me to leave?"

"Sarah," Jareth murmured, and when she did not look up, he kneeled before her and took her face gently in his gloved hand. "Do not hide your eyes from me, Sarah. Please." He stroked her cheek and smiled at her. "I do not usually share my possessions, but if my sharing this library with you pleases you then you may come here whenever you wish."

Her breath caught in her throat at his gesture. "That is very generous," she said quietly, biting her lip as she gazed into his eyes.

Seeing that she probably wanted to return to her book, a well thumbed copy of _Wuthering Heights, _Jareth smiled sadly at her and rose to leave.

"Wait," Sarah called out. "Please."

Jareth was a little startled but he sat down on the couch opposite her nonetheless. He looked at her expectantly.

"I wanted to ask you some questions," she began. "About what you said earlier: about us being bonded."

"Yes," Jareth replied warily, anxious as to where this was going.

"What did you mean?"

Jareth sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You may not like the answer to that question, Sarah."

"Tell me anyway," Sarah insisted in a soft but firm voice.

Jareth looked at her dubiously for a moment, trying to decide whether he should risk their progress on total honesty or tell her an untruth now and risk even more. He chose to tell her the truth. "Did you know that I am not a mortal man, Sarah?"

"Then what are you?" She replied curiously, biting her thumbnail in such an innocent way that Jareth wanted to kiss her.

"I am sure Hoggle has told you about his misdemeanours with faeries, yes? Well... I am a Fae, the cousin of the Faerie."

"I thought Fae and Faeries were the same thing."

Jareth raised an eyebrow and smirked a little. "Tell me, Sarah, what is it that you know about Faeries?"

"Only that they bite," Sarah mumbled with a frown, remembering the faerie that had bitten her.

Jareth grinned widely, showing his sharp teeth. "So do Fae."

Sarah shivered unconsciously in reaction to a war between two different areas of her brain. The part of her mind that dealt with pain and fear was screaming at her that she should be running away as fast as possible, and yet the other part of her mind – the part that controlled her desires – was determined to listen to what he had to say.. "You don't eat ... _people..._ do you?"

Much to her surprise, Jareth let out a bark of delicious laughter. "Good heavens, no! Did I not dine with you at lunch? I am as much of an Omnivore as you are, though I am venomous! Did you know that Fae and mortals are descended from the same ancestors? Around three thousand years ago, the Fae were ordered by the mortal rulers to give up their magic and return to the 'path of the Gods'. Of course, the Fae refused, and because their number had dwindled so much, they were outlawed into the Black Lands, or The Underground, as you know it. Our people built a different empire here, one in which an individual was free to choose whether they would retain their magic or abandon it. Many mortals defected to our side, in fact."

Though Sarah had been listening intently, she still couldn't see what this new information had to do with her and Jareth. "Jareth-" she interrupted, and he smirked at her.

"Patience," he chided her. "What I probably should have told you is that only male Fae are _born _Fae. Female Fae have to be chosen – created, as it were – by a male. There is an old rhyme... let me see if I can remember it." He thought for a moment and then smiled. "_Once the male has chosen his mate, the female has no choice but to accept her fate_."

Sarah paled a little. "This sounds terribly misogynistic."

"On the contrary, the most powerful members of Fae society are women, simply because there are so few of them!"

"But, why?" Sarah wondered, curling her knees beneath her and propping her face up on her hand.

"We Fae are free creatures; we are impulsive and reckless, and we do not enjoy routine. A Fae knows that he must choose wisely when he chooses a mate, and so he takes his time in ensuring that he has chosen his exact equal. Once the bite has been given, the female undergoes some slight changes, mainly to equip her body to bare Fae offspring. So you see ; a female Fae is more powerful because she is such a rarity, without her, the Fae would become extinct within a few millennia. And that is another point – without a mate, a male Fae will surely die before his third millennia is completed. My species need mortal women to stay alive. Though the bond is only 'binding' if the chosen female is a maid." Jareth looked a little uncomfortable.

"Why is it such a necessity to make sure that he chooses his exact equal?"

"Because, Sarah," Jareth explained with a twinkle in his eye, "Fae mate for life. And they do not like to share."

Sarah stood up and decided then and there to put a little space between herself and Jareth. "You're making me feel like Mina Harker in _Dracula_," she mumbled uneasily.

"Vampires," Jareth scoffed, "Pathetic creatures. Do not fear, Sarah, I am no parasitical beast lying in wait to drain you of your blood. I merely plead for your love, and offer my own soul in return."

"You can't just ask me things like that, Jareth," Sarah narrowed her eyes at him and frowned. "Talk about putting a girl under pressure."

"I can vow to you that I shall be forever faithful," Jareth pledged, nothing but honesty and valour shining in his eyes. "Anything that is in my power to give to you – name it and it shall be yours. Can't you see, Sarah? I have been waiting for you for almost two thousand years. You are the only one."

"I think you've made a mistake," Sarah said weakly, starting to back away from him.

"There is only _you_," Jareth replied sadly, hanging his head in desolation. "My Fae soul has chosen you, Sarah, and my mortal heart has followed suit."

"You cannot love me, Jareth," Sarah protested, avoiding his gaze. "You are cruel to me. You hold me here against my will. You have stolen the memories of my family. If you love me so much as you claim, why am I your prisoner? You cannot force me to care for you, Jareth."

The change in Jareth's personality was so immediate that Sarah gasped. It was as if a cloud had covered the sun.

He stalked towards her, his eyes alight with fury and lust, and for the first time since she had arrived in the Labyrinth, Sarah felt genuinely frightened of him. He looked unhinged, uncontrollable, _unsafe_.

"How _dare _you?" Jareth hissed at her, and Sarah had to fight the tears from her eyes when her back hit the wood of the door out into the hallway. "I offer myself to you like a common whore and you deny me _again_. I would torture you with my bare hands would it not torture _me _to do so."

He had reached the space in front of her and he threw up his arms so that they were on either side of her head, effectively trapping her from moving. His voice became deceptively soft and he leaned into her. "Don't you see, _Sarah_? Don't you see what the _monster_ inside me is doing? It is taking over me," he whispered, and she noticed a real fear in his voice. "It longs for you, Sarah. The beast... It is dangerous, and the longer it is deprived from the love of your heart and the lusts of your flesh, the stronger it becomes." He leaned towards her and smoothed her hair away from her head. "My love for you will not allow me to take you without your permission, but the beast within demands that it should be done." He managed to pull himself away from her and choked out, "Go now, Sarah. Ensure that your chamber door is locked at all times. I do not want to hurt you."

...

Sarah had never been so petrified in all of her life. She ran back to her room as fast as she could and bolted the door behind her. She could never have imagined that life here could be so dangerous.

She was breathless and fell back against the door, letting out a little shriek when she heard a fist pound urgently on the other side of the wood.

"Yes?" she called out, trying to keep her voice calm and steady.

"It's only me," Jareth called out in a sickly sweet voice, and Sarah instantly knew that he was still in the grip of the darkness within his soul. "Please, Sarah, let me in. I brought you some supper."

Sarah squeezed her eyes closed. "I'm not hungry," she replied politely, "But I appreciate the gesture. Thank you."

She swallowed thickly and winced when she heard an almighty smash and clatter in the corridor outside.

"If you do not eat when I command, you will not eat at all," Jareth growled, stalking off down the long hallway and leaving her alone.

Sarah pressed her ear to the door and listened until she heard a door slam in the distance, and then visibly relaxed.

It was as if she was in some kind of creepy horror novel.

She was in an old castle in the middle of nowhere with absolutely no clue how to get home; the castle's occupant was slightly unhinged and in love with her; and there was a part of him that would not think twice about stealing her virtue – with or without permission.

And yet she was powerless.

She couldn't exactly blame Jareth. At least he had warned her to run away before he was completely overpowered by the darkness in his soul, even if he had followed her shortly afterwards.

She was still haunted by the fear that had danced with the rage in his eyes and the tremble of regret in his voice. He didn't want this to happen to him, and he especially didn't want to scare her, but what could he do when he was overwhelmed with a dark urge to bite her and turn her into a dark Fae beast.

She didn't want to be like that!

Sarah sighed and sank to the floor. What she did want, however, was more information.

She didn't know exactly when Jareth would be in any position to talk to her again, especially since their last conversation had lead him to practically throw himself at her and propose something that seemed altogether much more serious than marriage.

Perhaps she could find information in a book?

Sarah sat there for a while behind her door, considering whether she valued her life more than she wanted to get rid of her avid curiosity.

Her curiosity won, and she was soon creeping down the corridors and back to the Library.

She managed to successfully reach the Library without running into an angry Jareth, though it took her much longer to find the right book. When she eventually stumbled across '_The Guide to Creatures Above and Under',_ she could have leaped with joy. Sarah stole out of the library, taking the book with her, and walked hurriedly back to her room.

She barricaded the door with a heavy chair and locked it, though she knew that if Jareth _really _wanted to get in, he would almost certainly find a way.

Sarah sat on her windowsill, using the light from the brightly setting sun to read, and her mouth fell open in shock when she finally stumbled across the right page.

"_In terms of mythical existence and the potential danger that they pose, Fae have often been grossly underestimated. Whilst it is acknowledged that they are indeed more venomous than their miniature cousins – the Faerie - the nature of a Fae is usually a placid thing, being able to endure much pain, suffering and loss without much anger. However, upon selecting a mate, the male Fae will display extreme out-of-character behaviours as pheromones to attract the female are released. The temper of the Fae will become increasingly volatile and unpredictable until the Fae is finally driven mad by their unrequited love – in which case the Fae will usually decapitate the object of their affections and return to a relatively normal state in which they have no recollection of their actions or their mate's existence. It is extremely rare for a Fae to mate more than once a lifetime, so denying the love of such a creature is not recommended. _

_Mortal women have long since fallen victim to the ferocity of Fae love; the intensity in which a Fae displays affection can be off-putting and in some cases frightening, though as afore mentioned if the woman does react like this it tends to lead to her death. On the other hand, if the mortal female is accepting of the Fae proposal, the bond is made, and both individuals become nigh indestructible because of the intensity and strength of their match. Fae mate for life and do not like to share. Once a claim has been staked, the male Fae is possibly one of the most dangerous and formidable creatures in existence, and the matter of the bond must be resolved by either the submission of the mortal female or the event of her death at his hands, usually within two to five years of the initial claim. "_

Sarah gaped at the casual passage in the book .

She wasn't entirely sure how to react.

Jareth had certainly left out the part that he would eventually rip her head off if she didn't agree to become like him, and she definitely was not happy that she had to 'submit' to his will!

Sarah was not a submissive kind of girl!

And then a little thrill went through her as she thought of Jareth utterly dominating her mind, soul and body, and Sarah knew right then that she could not rule out the possibility of accepting his proposal.

Damn Fae with his pheromones and hypnotizing eyes and the scary polite voice that he used just before he lost his temper.

It wasn't her fault that she was attracted to him, right? He was releasing a smell to drive her subconsciously crazy with lust, so even if he was a little scary at the moment, if she got to look at his ass in his tight breeches, maybe it was worth it?

She shook her head clear of the thoughts and groaned.

She was so hungry.

Sarah was almost considering going to find the kitchens to see if the nice goblin ladies would rustle her up some food, but she didn't much fancy bumping into an aroused Jareth in a dark, secluded corridor. It wasn't that she was afraid he would hurt her, it was more that she was afraid that she'd give it up right there in the middle of a hallway if he kissed her even one more time.

And yet in spite of feeling all of those things towards him, she was still _so_ mad at him.

Sarah did the only sensible thing that she could think of.

She decided to sleep on it.

* * *

**I haven't ever come across a Jareth/Sarah fic with this kind of plot. I'm a little addicted to Horror/Romance, but more towards the scary side rather than the namby pamby Twilight stuff. (I love Twilight, but come on Edward grow some freakin' balls!) I hoped you liked it, I am super nervous about what you're all gonna think! **

**ps - I know that the chapters are a little short, but you have to remember that I'm still getting into my stride with this story. I'll more than likely go back and make them longer when I get a little farther along in the plot, so don't hate! **

**x**


	4. Chapter 3 Wasting

_But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,  
And kept unused, the user so destroys it.  
No love toward others in that bosom sits  
That on himself such murderous shame commits._

**- Sonnet 09, William Shakespeare**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Wasting**

Jareth stormed into his chamber and slammed the door behind him, wiping his gravy covered hands in disgust on his breeches. He couldn't believe that she had turned down a perfectly good meal! Of all the spiteful things to do, to deny one food was probably the most stupid.

He knew that his level of anger was unreasonable, and yet the Fae within him demanded to return to her room, break down the door and take her so roughly that she screamed in pain. He longed to dominate her, to bite her, to ravish her, to _ravage_ her.

Jareth growled as the mental images overtook him and he fell against the wall, furiously panting for breath. He was fully in the grip of the Fae now, and fighting the feelings that came to him so readily, and yet seemed so perverse, was only damaging his mind further.

How sweet she would feel when he entered her for the first time, her virgin walls clinging to his length as he pounded into her wet heat.

God, he wanted her. And in the same breath, he wanted to kill her. To wrap his leather-bound fingers around her pretty white neck and squeeze the breath from her body, to force his cock through her pretty red lips and choke her with it.

This was all _her_ fault. _Why _could she not love him back? Why did she have to be so _selfish_ as to constantly _deny_ him?

He should take her virtue by force, to prove to her just how much at his mercy she actually was!

_Well, old chap, if you __**did**__do that, you would certainly not be successful in making the bond when she did agree to it, _a snide voice remarked from the calmer part of Jareth's brain. _After all, for the bond to 'bind', the female must be a virgin. If that is truly your plan, perhaps you should get it over with and kill her now? But then, you would never do such a thing to the Labyrinth's Chosen One. It would be suicide. _

Jareth took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, letting out a long, forlorn moan. He was so _angry_ with her. He wanted to _hurt_ her, to make her scream his name and beg forgiveness for her arrogance and selfishness.

But yet, he loved her. And to hurt her would certainly destroy all of their chances at ever finding happiness.

His rage quickly dissipated when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror. Angry dark circles lurked beneath his normally bright eyes, his shoulders were hunched, his muscles straining against the confines of his clothes, his fists clenched so tightly that his red veined nails bit into his palms through his leather gloves, even his mouth seemed thin and cruel. And, to round the entire thing off nicely, he was painfully aroused.

_He was a monster._

He had frightened her, and some twisted part of him had actually found _pleasure _in it. He was so ashamed of himself... and yet again, a part of him found his appearance and reaction to her presence to be completely natural.

What was happening to him?

His control over Fae brain was slipping, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before he did actually cause Sarah physical pain if she did not begin to accept his affections.

Her utter and absolute rejection of his feelings for her was what was causing all of this. If she would at least _consider_ his proposal, things would be much easier on both of them.

The fact of the matter was that she had to be the one to ask for the bite, and feel genuine love behind it. If her love for him was not genuine, the Fae within him would know and she would be killed for her deception – and Jareth would be powerless to stop it.

It was _so_ complicated.

There was just too much magic involved in the entire process, not to mention too much lust and altogether too much _love_, at least on his part, for any of this to be simple on either of their parts.

Jareth wanted to mate with her. He wanted to make her into a strong, powerful Fae – wanted to make her equal to him in every way – and yet he could not do so without her requesting that he do so.

He heard her scuttling past his room and sighed. He had royally damaged their relationship for the foreseeable future. He just _knew_ that Sarah would think he was forcing her into loving him, and in a way, Jareth supposed he was, but it was entirely unintentional.

He had known from the first moment he saw her that she was the one.

Her wild, inky black hair, her entrancing green eyes, her ripe red mouth and her ivory skin: his own personal _Snow White._

He had loved her from the very beginning, and now he had to make her love him too – for both their sakes.

Jareth impulsively decided to send her a gift. It was her birthday after all, and what better way to make amends than to give her a present?

He thought for a while and grinned suddenly as he thought of the perfect first flower to give her.

He conjured a single branch of honeysuckle with a dainty bloom of white flowers and laid it on his bed. Jareth rummaged in his nightstand before emerging with a small crystal about the size of his fist. He laid that on the bed with the honeysuckle and then thought a little more.

Jareth sent a goblin running for a copy of the _Labyrinth_ from the library, and managed to fashion a simple crystal into an elegant glass vase that glittered when it caught the light.

He placed the honeysuckle into the vase and smiled at the image. He would court her in a gentlemanly way; offering her flowers and gifts, asking her permission to hold her hand and kiss her cheek, perhaps he would even employ an escort to accompany them so that she did not need to fear him should they ever be alone.

He wanted her to be happy, and felt immensely guilty that her happiness had a limit.

Still not entirely contented with his gift, Jareth decided to add a letter, just to prove to Sarah how regretful he was for scaring her.

The clock struck nine and Jareth began to write.

* * *

The next morning, Sarah awoke early and took another long bath. She soaked for awhile in the vanilla-scented bubbles and groaned when there was a knock on her door. She peeled herself from the bath and wrapped a black towelling robe around her before going to answer the door.

"Beggin' yer pardon, miss, if we have interrupt'd yer," a small goblin lady in a grubby apron began, "But His 'Onourable Maj the King ordered us to bring yer these."

Sarah bemusedly raised an eyebrow and smiled kindly at the goblin woman, gesturing that she should come in. "You don't need to apologise," Sarah said in a curious voice. "I was only taking a bath."

"Oo! His Maj will be awful upset when he finds out we interrupt'd yer bath, miss," a stouter goblin lady said worriedly, entering Sarah's room behind the first.

"He never need know," Sarah replied with a smile. "I won't tell." She looked between the two goblin women expectantly. "What did Jar- I mean, what did His Majesty ask you to bring to me?"

"These, miss," the first goblin lady said, placing two elegantly wrapped parcels down on Sarah's bed.

"And these," the second goblin supplied, placing a bound piece of parchment down on the bed next to the other two items, and then handing Sarah an elegant vase with curious little white flowers springing from one stem inside. "His Maj asks that you open the letter first, miss, as it will 'elp you to understan' 'is right and proper meaning."

"Okay..." Sarah looked a little confused, but, eager to avoid any more questions that would keep them from their work in the kitchens, the two little women dipped shallow curtsies and scuttled from the room.

Sarah gently placed the vase onto her nightstand and leaned forwards to pick up the letter. She pulled on the silver rope that held the letter together and smiled in amusement when a single feather drifted to the floor. It was a creamy brown colour at the base but lightening to a pearl white at the very tip, and Sarah placed the feather next to her vase.

She unfurled the letter.

"_**My dearest Sarah,**_

_**I hope that this letter finds you in good health and recovered from my unfortunate outburst last night. **_

_**Once I had regained my senses after my loss of temper, it came to my attention that I did not offer you congratulations on celebrating your eighteenth birthday. For the Fae, the eighteenth is a 'coming of age' event, one in which magical potential is assessed and life choices are made. For your eighteenth birthday, Sarah, I present you first with a gift of your favourite book (the larger parcel) to remind you of the many thrills of your childhood."**_

Sarah picked up the larger of the two items on her bed and carefully unwrapped it, beaming when she saw that it truly was 'The Labyrinth'. It too was a well thumbed copy, though it was not her own, and Sarah flushed when she noticed Jareth's own scent on the pages.

She placed the book on her lap and continued on with the letter.

"_**As for your second gift, I offer you the traditional 'coming of age' crystal of our realm. However, I have altered the properties of this second present, and if you wish it to be so you shall be able to see your family as often as you wish by the use of this crystal."**_

Sarah hurriedly tore off the material and gaped when she saw that it really was a crystal of her very own, one with no conditions attached.

She smiled softly when she thought of the connotations of this gift. Three years ago, Jareth had offered her the very same thing in exchange for her honour, and now he was giving it to her freely.

Perhaps he really had changed, Sarah mused.

"_**I also write this letter for another purpose: to apologise for my atrocity last night.**_

_**You are in no way to blame for what happened, and I deeply regret having acted in such a manner. Make no mistake, Sarah, I do not apologise for my feelings for you, simply for frightening you. **_

_**I also believe that it is important to inform you that you do not need to agree to be bitten in order to receive my affections. I beg you to be a little more open minded: it would be much easier on the two of us, and perhaps a little pleasurable as well.**_

_**I seek to reassure you that our relationship cannot be consummated until **__**you**__** have asked for the bite. You must love me with your whole heart in order for the bond to occur; otherwise the consequences will be dire for either of us. All I ask for is your patience and complete honesty, my sweet Sarah, for I do believe that honesty is the very definition of the truest and purest of loves.**_

_**I send the flower as a token of my affection, and hope that one day you will discover its true meaning. I hope to fill that vase in the time to come, and like my love for you, the flowers within will never wilt. **_

_**Be well assured that the beast is firmly caged for now, and I pledge to you that I shall give you ample warning to distance yourself should such a thing happen again.**_

_**I humbly beg for your forgiveness, though I am well aware that I do not deserve it.**_

_**Yours, always, **_

_**Jareth."**_

She was awed by the gesture and the sentiment behind it. If there had ever been any doubt in her mind that he loved her, it had been firmly extinguished. And as much as it killed her to admit it, she loved him too.

Perhaps not to the extent to which he loved her, but she loved him all the same, and she _wanted_ to return his feelings.

Sarah hadn't realised that she was crying until a tear fell onto the parchment. She laughed quietly at her own silliness and fell back onto her bed, clutching the letter to her chest.

Yeah, he was still an asshole.

But at least he was trying to make amends, and he had promised to warn her next time he sensed that he was about to lose control over himself.

And though Sarah couldn't entirely admit it to herself, there was a clichéd section of her brain that was incredibly excited by the idea of 'dating' a man who was dangerous.

Sarah laughed shakily. Now that she was aware that she didn't have to immediately commit to being his 'soul-mate', the idea of a relationship had become so much more promising.

At least she knew that he would be faithful to her, she mused.

Realising that she was still in her towelling robe, Sarah decided that she would dress for the day and perhaps go for a walk around before lunchtime. She wasn't hungry enough for breakfast, and after the clear sincerity that echoed through his letter, she was certain that Jareth wouldn't mind her skipping another meal.

Not bothering with a bra today, Sarah decided to wear some French cut, emerald lace underwear to go underneath her outfit.

She chose a silvery-grey gown today with sleeves that hung to the floor, and smiled when she found a silver headdress to wear over her hair that matched perfectly. The headdress was a simple piece of thin silver that rested lightly on her scalp, an onyx dangling from the front so that the gem hung just above her eyes. Her dark hair fell becomingly around her shoulders and down to her waist, framing her elf-like face with shining black curtains.

Sarah pulled on some flat sandals and gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

The dress was incredibly flattering on her slender figure, uplifting her breasts, clinging to her flat stomach and gently falling in a ripple of shimmering silk around her feet.

Not too formal and not too casual.

She straightened her bed linen and dabbed a little rose water on her wrists.

Sarah sighed as she looked around the beautiful room. It was almost as if she couldn't remember how her life had ever been different to this, and yet she felt an incredible sense of betrayal to Toby, her Dad, little Imogen –her most recent sibling – and even Karen.

She shook the thoughts from her head.

This was to be her life now, and for the time being, she couldn't do a single thing about it.

As she closed the door behind her, Sarah was inspired with a way to thank Jareth for his most _generous_ gifts. And just like that, Sarah's mind was made up. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Jareth lay back lazily on his throne, tapping his ever-present riding crop against one of the bone arms.

He had dismissed the goblins for the day, wanting to spend some time alone wallowing in his self pity, but he was beginning to regret doing so.

He was bored, and was currently giving the only entertaining person in his castle some space.

Jareth heard a familiar laugh and looked up in surprise. There she was, a blush colouring her usual pale cheeks.

Framed in the doorway by the light of the outer hallway looking far too much like an anti-angel than was probably allowed, Sarah bit her lip shyly.

"I was doing a little more exploring. Sorry."

"You need not apologise to me," Jareth replied with a nervous smile. He raised an eyebrow curiously when Sarah started to walk slowly towards him.

"I want to thank you," Sarah began quietly, looking up at Jareth from under her lashes in a way that made his loins ache. "For the presents."

"What about the letter?" Jareth asked her, and Sarah bit her lip to hide her smile. He was incredibly anxious around her, and Sarah found it nothing short of adorable. She knew that Jareth was not to blame for what was happening to him; any anger she felt towards him was towards him as a person, not because of the situation he found himself in.

She slunk towards him like a cat, her bright eyes never leaving his. When she eventually came to a stop in front of him, Jareth's breathing was elevated and his penetrating gaze was fixed on her.

"Especially the letter," she said huskily, resting her hands on his knees.

"Sarah," Jareth warned her, but she simply smirked and leaned down to press her lips against the place where his pulse beat most loudly in his neck.

Jareth could not resist; he lifted his arms and gently gripped her waist, the tips of his fingers pressing against the upper part of her bottom.

Sarah moved to the other side of his neck and Jareth groaned. "What are you doing to me?" He asked her in a desperate whisper, unable to believe that this was actually happening.

"Thanking you properly," Sarah replied in a hot breathy whisper, before capturing his lips with hers.

She pressed herself against him and allowed Jareth to pull her into his lap. He growled from somewhere deep in his throat and Sarah smirked against his lips. Jareth used this to slip his tongue into her mouth and Sarah cupped the back of his head with one of her hands, her fingers tangling in his mane of blonde hair.

Though Sarah had been the initiator of the kiss, Jareth soon pulled control away from her and kissed her with such a passion that Sarah was sure that her lips would bruise.

She moaned into his mouth, experiencing feelings that she had never felt to such intensity before, and pressed her body against his with as much force as she could muster.

It was as if her body was pleading with Jareth for more, and Sarah was certainly in no position to argue.

Feeling his erection against her thigh, Sarah wriggled on his lap and fought to regain dominance within their kiss.

Jareth tried to pull away from her. "Sarah," he mumbled, "Sarah, I'm starting to lose it."

Sarah looked him levelly in the eye. "Then lose it."

Jareth gaped at her. "You can't know what you're asking."

"I know very well," Sarah whispered against his lips. "Please, Jareth."

Squeezing his eyes closed, Jareth choked out, "What does this mean?"

Sarah lowered her mouth to his earlobe and sucked it into her mouth, nipping it sharply with her teeth. "That I am being open minded," she breathed against his skin, and Jareth moaned loudly and pulled her lips back to his.

It was amazing how those six little words had managed to change his experience with the Fae mating process altogether. Now that Sarah had decided that she would try to accept his affections and return them as well, Jareth was for the first time able to enjoy the thrill of power and lust that electrified his limbs whenever she was near. He lifted her roughly so that she was straddling him and Sarah chuckled darkly. "You're mightily eager. Anyone would think that you had been waiting for this all of your life."

Jareth growled and pulled back to look at her and Sarah gasped at the changes in his face, though she was more curious than scared. Jareth tried to look away, but Sarah grasped his chin and commanded him to look at her.

"Do not hide your eyes from me," she echoed, and Jareth smirked in spite of himself.

His teeth were sharper, his eyes darker, and his skin paler. He looked like a predator, and she – for the moment – was his all too willing prey. She trailed her fingertips down his cheeks and gazed deeply into his eyes. "Do not be ashamed of yourself," Sarah murmured gently. "I need to know both sides of you."

Jareth sighed, but Sarah was able to regain his attention by lowering her lips to his. She kissed him with as much strength and passion as she could muster, trying to communicate her feelings and emotions through their kiss, and Jareth responded with a primal rumble that seemed to stem from deep within his chest.

Sarah pressed her body against his, suddenly hyper aware that she wasn't wearing a bra, and she moaned when Jareth reached a hand up to cup one of her breasts through her gown. She arched her back into him and ground her hips wantonly against his.

"Sarah," Jareth growled, "We have to stop."

She pulled away from him, an adorable pout on her lips. Sarah tried to stand up, but Jareth rearranged her more comfortably on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. Sarah bit her lip when she realised that he was actually _snuggling_ with her.

He stroked her hair and peppered kisses along her hairline. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "You don't know how much this will help."

Sarah stiffened a little. "I'm not going to ask you to bite me Jareth, not yet. It's too soon."

Jareth gazed sadly into her eyes. "But, will you ask, Sarah?"

She took a deep breath and smiled a small smile. "Yes," she swore quietly. "But you have to give me some time first. You have to understand, Jareth – I've been brought here against my will... and even though I care for you, it doesn't mean that it makes it any easier to be separated from my family. I see now that I must accept what has happened to both of us, but it won't happen overnight. So, please, have some faith in me and be patient."

They both relaxed a little and Jareth smiled. "Patience is something I have a lot of practice in."

* * *

**More of a fluffy chapter than I would have liked, but it's important to show both sides of Jareth's character; Sarah has just made things a whole lot easier for him – he doesn't have to bottle up his feelings anymore – but that doesn't mean that he's gonna be any easier to live with, so don't be angry about dark Jareth's small role in this chapter because he will be back with a vengeance. He is a hormonal, horny Fae and the object of his affections has decided that she will let him bite her eventually, but there is still the risk that if Sarah doesn't let him do it soon, he'll probably kill her. **

**I also received a review wondering why Sarah was all over the place emotionally and I don't understand how I could have made the reason why any clearer – she loves Jareth, but she can't admit it to herself, and she's just been separated from her family. She's angry at Jareth because he knew what would happen if she beat the Labyrinth and didn't warn her, but I hope in this chapter I made their feelings a little less convoluted.**

**Thank you to everyone who has favourited/followed this story, it means a lot to me! **

**Please review! **


	5. author's note

**9****th**** September 2012**

Just letting you all know that this hasn't been abandoned...

I'm having a LOT of trouble with my laptop.

My charger and battery are both broken... I managed to borrow a charger and then discovered that BOTH of my USB ports are faulty and so I can't even put any new chapters – which I've written using the computer at work computer which doesn't have an internet connection – onto my laptop! And I refuse to rewrite 5,000+ words when I've already written them.

I can't even use the computers at my local library because I've recently gotten a new job and so I've been doing s 50 mile round trip for induction meetings and training courses for the past three weeks and just haven't had the time!

It's a freakin' nightmare!

Please, please, please bear with me... My laptop is booked in to be fixed on the 20th September, and though it will be quite costly it'll be worth it! If you can manage to wait another week or so for a REAL update, I would be eternally grateful. Hope you're prepared for what's coming next!

Thank you for your continued support, I appreciate it so much!

**Jen**

PS – I'm majorly pissed off about this entire situation. I've written THREE additional chapters of this story and cannot even post them! AND I'm only managing to stay up to date with my favourite fics because of my mobile! AND I've discovered that my laptop also has a Trojan horse thanks to a dodgy PDF file I downloaded that was SUPPOSED to be the fourth Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel!

Dontcha just hate technology?


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